i6 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Midland and Northern Counties. 



By W. Roberts, Gardener to Lady Emily Bury 

 Charlf-ville Forest, TuUainore, King's County. 



It is to be hoped that the year we have just 

 entered will see a revival in all the different 

 sections of hortic-ulture which have suffered so 

 niucli during the past four years, though I am 

 afraid many of the fine old centres will never 

 resume their former fame in that respect. 



OuT-nooK Fruits.— All pruning, tying, nailing 

 and ipraving should he completed as soon as 

 possible now. The latter operation is not, in 

 most places, given the attention it deserves, chiefly 

 I suppose through the cost of material and labour; 

 but if a si'ction of the trees is treated each year 

 it will help to sjjread the expenditure and enable 

 one to u-e the beiu'fits without too great an initial 

 outlay. Althougii the advantages are not im- 

 mediatt-y discernible it always pay? in the end. 

 Any jjliinting or shifting not already completed 

 shfiulfl be attended to during any dry period, and 

 where jiossible the ground forked around the trees 

 or bushes. 



In-door Fruits. — Complete the pruning, wash- 

 ing and tying of Peaches and Vines in late houses; 

 those for early supplies which have been gently 

 started will require attention in the way of 

 atmospheric moisture, and as they come on, a 

 little more heat; and where this is available a 

 little Tomato, Melon and Cucumber seed may l)e 

 sown; also Strawberries in pots that have been in 

 a cold frame or house for a week or so nuiy be 

 brought in. 



Indoor Plants, Flowers. &c. — This ig a favoin- 

 able month to generally overhaul and clean this 

 section in readiness for the growing season, and 

 attention will be required for all forced sul)jects. 

 Mich as Hyacinths. Narcissus. Spiraea, (fee; these. 

 as thev begin to move, should be kept as near the 

 glass as possible and attention given as they re- 

 quire it in the way of staking, tying, &c., and as 

 the begin to show nower weak liquid and soot-water 

 will help them, care l)eiiig taken not to overdo 

 this or you will have better foliage than flowers. 

 Where there is a sufficient connnand of artificial 

 lieat many things may be sown this month, but 

 generally, it is better to wait a bit as they go 

 away fpiicker as the jjeriods of sun.«hiiie Ijccome 

 extended. 



VKfiKTABi.K fiARDEN.— During dry or iroAy 

 weather wheel or cart out iiiainire ;iiul trench any 

 vacant ground not already done, and where this 

 is not practicable dig deeply and leave the .sur- 

 face as rough as possible. I am greatly in favour 

 of grouiKl or slaked lime ai)i)lied pretty liberally 

 when dig-img at this time of year to old garden 

 soils, a< from my e.xperien.e it gives them ii new 

 lease of product ivem-ss. and that the more lime 

 you are .supposed to have in your .soil already the 

 better the results. Towards the end of the 

 month a few Peas and Broad fJeans .sliould 

 he «own ui a sheltered i>o.<;ition. also Spinach 

 Attend to and manure Asparagus beds and cover 

 Seakale with pots or litter (I find ordinarv bog- 

 mouhl the best medium for this i)urr)ose) Celerv 

 wi in some cases requir.. protection, that is 

 with bracken or litter, ahso Globe Artichokes. 

 Potatoes that have been sprouted may be sown 

 in frames or pits for earliest supplies." and those 

 for successive plantings placed in boxes in a 



dark, dry slied, and those for main crops attended 

 to for any decayed tubers, and turned so as to 

 prevent too early a growtli. All growing crops 

 should be kept clean of weeds, and the soil, when- 

 ever dry, kept stirred between the rows; and 

 Broccoli fit for use will be better lifted and stored; 

 a shed with a north aspect is the best for this 

 purpo-e, and failing this, heel them in with the 

 heads facing north and protect with whatever 

 material is available. 



The Silver Cedar. 



Cedrus atlantica gl.auca. 



A pretty tree at all times, this appeari doubly so 

 in winter when the glaucous hue becomes more 

 pronounced. When planted among other dark- 

 hued conifers the effect is distinctly good, and on 

 dull winter day- a well-grown young plant is a 

 pleasant oi)ject. There seems to be no difficulty 

 in its cultivation, given a fairly good soil and 

 drainage. There is also a form named argentea 

 slightly more silvery than the variety glauca. An 

 alleged golden variety of the Atlas Cedar has 

 failed so far to come up to ex])ectations, the leaves 

 only assuming a dull yellowish tinge in winter, 

 giving the impression of bad health rather than 

 anything else. 



Strange to say. a similar variation in colour 

 occurs in Abies pinsapo, a native of Southern 

 Spain, the Cedar coming from Algeria and 

 Morocco. 



Abies pinsapo glauca is quite an ornamental 

 tree when growing well but less silvery than the 

 glaucous form of the Atlas Cedar. Like the 

 yellow form of Cedrus Atlantica, Abies pinsapo 

 aurea is not worth growing except as a botanical 

 curiosity. 



Apart from some varieties of Cupressus and 

 Thuya the only golden conifer of any merit is 

 the golden Scotch Pine, Pinus sylvestris aurea. 

 This assumes a really good colour" in winter, and 

 shows up well among the dark-leaved species. 



B. 



By Sed-el^Bahr. 



By I'athkk MacOitj,, 



Above youi- graves no wattle lijooins," 

 Nor flowers from I'^nylish dells. 



You, men. who .slee]> uuenslly 

 Beside the Dardanelles. 



To other lands your mates have .sped 

 I'resh fields of Avar to find — 



Oh ! little graves on Sed-el-Bahr. 

 And dead men left behind ! 



'Twas yours to know the surge of war 

 And yours to pay the cost. 



'Twas yours to battle for a cause, 

 And dying, know^ it lost. 



What drums upon the n-n-row seas 

 'IMiat run l)y Sed-el-Bahr ? 



Oh ! get you up to see once more, 

 .\ British man-of-war ! 



The sailor singing on the deck 



A tale of conquest fells. 

 The cause i< won ! Sleep easily 



Beside f l. Dardanelles ! 



